Wardrobe case



Feb. 9, 1932. J, RITTERKJR 1,844,336'

WARDROBE CASE Filed April 15, 1929 Mw: lulhfnup.. I" v will Patented Feb.. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .TULIUS RITTER, JR., OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 HAR'lllIANlxT` TRUNK GOM- PANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CGRPORATION OF WISCONSIN WARDROBE CASE Application filed April 15, 1929. Serial N0. 355,139.

My invention has relation to improvements in wardrobe cases.

Wardrobe cases have been constructed in which the wardrobe section is not of suilleient length to support the apparel from the usual hangers, without the necessity ol folding the apparel upwardly, which necessarily results in causing the apparel or garments to be badly creased and wrinkled.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a construction wherein the case consists of two separate and distinct sections, one constituting the compartment section, and the other the wardrobe section, both sections comprising main body portions and hinged cover portions, the hinged connections being disposed at a medial point ot the case so as to permit of the covers opening upwardly and inwardly toward each other, the cover ot' the wardrobe section being equipped within its unhinged end with garment supporting devices, to permit of the garments occupying the space within the said cover, and with the 'further provision :tor such garments as are greater in length than the cover, being extended into and positioned within the body portion of the wardrobe section, without the :necessity et folding such lengthy garments upwardly. By this provision the objectionable wrinhling and creasing oit lengthy garments is avoided, and at the same time the wardrobe section of the case is not of undue length.

lVith the above primary object, and other incidental objects, in view, the invention consists of the devices and parts, or the equivalents thereof, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

ln the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a section through the entire case, showing the cover of the wardrobe section raised, and the garments suspended from hangers in said cover extended downwardly into and alongl the bottom of the body of the wardrobe section, and also showing the curtain in position to protect the garments;

Fig. i) is a similar section to that disclosed by l, but showing lthe cover oli the wardrobe section closed, thus illustrating the position that the garments assume when the case is ready to be taken on a trip, and further showing, by dotted lines, a fragment of the cover of the compartment section raised to open position;

F ig. 3 is a side elevation of the case, with both covers closed, and

F ig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a tragment of the intermediate partition and ol the two covers, in order to clearly show the hinge connections Jfor the covers.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 4 indicates the main body portion of the wardrobe section of the case, which is provided with a hinged cover 5, and the numeral 6 indicates the main body portion of the compartment section of the case, which is likewise provided with a hinged cover 7. The two sections of the case are separated from each other by means of an inner transversely extending partition 8. This partition, as will be seen from the drawing', extends a distance beyond the edges of the walls of the two sections. The sides ofthe ends of the body ot the wardrobe section, next to the partition 8, may, it desired, be provided with extensions 9 secured to the opposite inner sides of the body of the wardrobe section. These extensions are in the form of boards, and preferably extend down to the bottom of the body of the wardrobe section. As they are secured to the inner facesof the sides ot' the body of the wardrobe section, they are necessarily inset, and this permits the side flanges of the cover 5 to position themselves on the outside of these extensions.

The opposite sides of the hinged top 5 have garment hanger rails 10 (only one being shown) mounted thereon within the nnhinged end oi. said cover 5, for receiving garment hangers 11 which are slidable on said rails.

The garments, indicated by the numeral 12, are suspended from the hangers, and such of the garments as are longer than the length of the hinged top 5 extend along the length of the cover 5 and thence between the extensions 9 and adjacent to the transverse partition 8, the garments being finally turned so as to be caused to extend along the bottom of the body ofthe wardrobe section. A cur- 4tain 13 is connected at one extremity within the unhinged end of the cover 5, and is extended downwardly over the suspended garments, the length of the curtain being sufticient to extend throughout the entire length of the garments, both within the cover and within-the body of the wardrobe section.

Fig. 2 of the drawings shows the cover of the wardrobe section closed so as to clearly illustrate the Vposition `which the `gari'nents assume whenfthecover 5 is closed and the case 1s ready for transportation.

The next step is to close the cover 5, and

"the garments and protecting curtain will 0n opposite sides of the body portion of" the wardrobe sectionfare-SecuredA ,the lower ends of flexible tapes 'orstra'ps 14 (only one being shown) The upper ends of thesetapes.

s: f are secured toltheopposite sideV flanges ofthe cover 5. These `tapes vserve VtheV functionfof limiting the extent to which fthe coverinay loe opened.

Similar flexible tapesoristraps 1.5 are em- `-fployed for*the-compartment section `(one` p'only being-shown). r-The'lower ends'of these n tapes'are'likewise secured to -opposite Vsides of the compartment section,; Vand-the. upper i 1 ends 'thereof tofthe depending flangesfof the Y r cover 7, and ofcoursek perform the same func tion as thatdescribedwith reference to the :tapes 14, i. e., `they limit thenextent ofthe `n30' openingM of the-coverl 7. When the covers:

. are 'i turned downwardly these liexible tapes are no longer in'stretched condition, asillus-f rftrated by the dotted line contour of the tape within. the *compartmentVv section 11and 2 :of .thedrawingsy (see Figs.

fWithin the 'wardrobe section, and along the sides Athereof are shown pockets 16, for the Vcompartment'section.

. Alsowithin and along opposite' sidesof# .:the-'compartment section are Vcleats or ysupaccommodation offlaundry,l and small arti-I cles, such asrliandkerchiefs,etc.'*A similar` pocket-16 is shown within the body' ofthe -porting'strips 17* Stone only'being'sh-own) which support a `removable tray' 18.

In the use of the case',- when the cover jr17 ofthe 'compartment `section is` raised, thetray can be removed so as to afford an opportunity to pack thespaceoffthe body offthe :compartment section which lies beneaththe tray f 1 8,'when'siaid;tray is in position.` 1 Afterthis L packing; the ytray' can: be 'reinserted" and The cover 5 of the wardrobe section can 'n'ext beraised so aste-provide for adjusting fiwhich are suspenced and which fare longer` lo packed.' Thefcover is then turned down to the garmentsto the hangers.V The :garments Y than the length Aof the cover 5 will beaccommodated in the; manner hereinbefore fully of the drawings,the'said garments, as here-r ;iLtofore stated, being protectedA by the cover for curtainlS. v

1ex-plained,. and as' clearly showngin Fig. l

then occupy the position clearly shown in F ig. 2 of the drawings, that is to say, a certain portion of the length of the garments will extendalong the cover 5., and-the lengthy garmentswillproject into the space between the extension guides 9 and are then bent around, and extend along the bottom of the body of the wardrobe-section.

" The hinged cover 5 is nowc-losed and locked and the packed case is ready to be carried on arjourney. Attention might be called to the fact. that whenthe cover 5 is closed the depending flanges thereof fit on the outside of the extension. guides 9,. andthe lower" edges of said flanges rest uponfthe edges of the body portion of `the wardrobe section.

. It willbe seen Vfrom the foregoing description that Ir-providea construction `wherein thefrailsand hangers are disposed-inthe Vhinged coverof the-body' ofthe wardrobe section,-and that a-substantial-portion of-the length of the` garments are withinfthehinged .cover,fand the remaining portionsoflen hy.` garments are' within the body portiono the wardrobe sectiongwithfonly the necessityof one -fold tothe longgarments, and without -the .necessity of folding 'the garments f upwardly, which of courseincrearsesr very maf.A

`Vteriallyfthe danger of-,wrinkling and'creas? infr. c y c t 'willbe furtherseen thatlthe construction is-such-that a-case is provided inwhich two separate and distinct compartments are.

formed,.each equipped with itsownindividual or separateY hinged cover, one of the compartments, t in .conjunction 1 with its cover,

of the case.

yformingfthe .wardrobe section, capableof accommodating suspended garments, without the necessity of undue foldingV andzcreasingof the garmentsyall ofthese .advantageous features being provided for-without the necessity of undue extension of the ,length Y For convenience in carrying thecaSe, oner lside thereof 1s provided-with the usual. hann dle 19. y ."In' Fig. 4`of the drawings, [.shoW--in detail the hinge connections between the-covers and the partition 8. The hinge connectionv for the cover 5 cosistsof a shortstrip 19 attached at one end to the under side of. said cover by stitches 20, andat its opposite end is attached Ybystitches 21 to the partition v8.

dici

robe body portion and a compartment body portion separated from each other by a medially positioned transversely extending partition, the said partition extending upwardly beyond the Walls of the Wardrobe body portion and the compartment body portion a distance of substantially one-half the height oit said Wali, iinilependent hinged covers it'or the two body portions, the hinges connecting said covers to the portion of the partition which projects beyond the Walls of the body portions, and garment supporting" devices mounted within the unhinged end of the cover for the Wardrobe section :tor holding garments which occupy space Within the Wardrobe body portion and the cover therefor.

2. A Wardrobe case, comprising a Wardrobe body portion and a compartment body portion separated from each other by a medially positioned transversely extending partition, the said partition projecting upwardly a greater distance than the Walls ot the Wardrobe body portion andthe compartment body portion, extensions extending beyond opposite sides of the body portion of the Wardrobe section and adjacent to and at an angle from the partition, separate or independent hinged covers 'for the tvvo body portions, the hinges connecting said covers to the projecting portion of the transverse partition, the side flanges of the cover for the Wardrobe section, when said cover is in a closed position, being positioned on the outside of the side eXtensions and resting on the edges of the Walls of the Wardrobe section, and garment supporting devices removably mounted Within the nnhing'ed end of the cover for the Wardrobe section for suspending garments which occupy space Within the Wardrobe body portion and the cover therefor.

3. A Wardrobe oase, comprising a body member, a partition therewithin dividing said body member into a compartment section and a wardrobe section, and independent cover sections for the Icompartment section and the Wardrobe section respectively, and hingedly connected to portions of the case intermediate its ends, the cover section 'tor the Wardrobe section when closed with respect to the latter forming therewith a continuous compartment for the accommodation of elongated garments disposed in a U- formation.

el.. A Wardrobe case, comprising a body meml'ier, a partition therewithin dividing said body member into a compartment section and a Wardrobe section, independent cover sections for the compartment section and the Wardrobe section respectively, said cover sections being of a substantial depth and being hingedly connected to portions of the case intermediate its ends, and garment supporting members mounted Within the unhinged end portions of the Wardrobe section 

